Automatic-signal.



l. B. TURNER. AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED AUG-28. 9H.

Patented July 9, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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Im Turrpr I. B. TURNER.

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.28. 19m.

Patented July 9, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

6 7A TE l/GZMSE m nmmwon 1m B. Turner I. B. TURNER.

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL. APPLICATION FQILED AUG.28, 19H.

} Patented July 9, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I N VEN TOR ITED STATES ATE,

ma 3. manna, orrn rmnnnrn'm, PENNSYLVANIA.

.aU'romonILE-smmim 1 Specification ofiLetters Patent.

Application filed August 28-, 1917. I Serial No. 188,546,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA B. TURlNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented;

new and useful Improvements in Automobile-Signals, of which thefollowing is a specification. v 1

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in automobilesignals, and has for its object to provide an exceedingly simple andefiective device of this character, whereby the operator of anautomobile may signal to the trafiic following his vehicle whether heintends to proceed, stop or turn to either the right or the left.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vehicle signal whichwill be exceedingly simple in construction relatively inexpensive in thecost of manufacture, yet strong and durable, and one whichmay be readilyand quickly applied to a vehicle of any constructlon.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automobile signal whichmay be built in the body of the vehicle and so combined therewith as toform a part thereof.

Another object. of the invention is to provide an automobile signalwhich may be readily operated from the drivers seat" through the mediumof a flexible shaft.

A still further object of theinvention is to provide an automobilesignal consisting of two semaphores or signal arms pivoted within ahousing having two openings through which the signals are given, both ofsaid signal arms being connected by links with a single crank, thedifferent positions of the crank arm moving the semaphores to theirdifi'erent signal positions.

bile, showing my improved signal applied thereto.

Fig. 2,".is a fragmentary longitudinal sectiona view thereof. I Fig. 3,is an enlarged perspective view of the steering wheel, showing one wayin which the crank handle for operating the signal may beplaced withineasy access of the automobile operator. Fig. 4, is a front elevation ofmy improved signal showing-"it arranged within a housing which isadapted to besecured to any vehicle, the signal arms being in the stopposition andillustrating in a dot and dash line the Patented July 9, 1918. i

position of one of the semaphores when the other being used to designatethat the automobileis to be turned to the right.

Fig. 5, is a similar view the signal arms being in the proceed positionand showing in dot and dash lines, the position of one of the semaphoreswhen the signal is to be given for turning to the left.

Fig. 6, is a section at the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig.- 7, is a section at the line 7-7 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8, is an inside rear elevation of the signal.

Fig. 9, is an edge view of one of the semaphores or signal arms; and

Fig. 10, is a horizontal sectional view of a i slightly modified form ofmy invention on a line below the links which connects the signal arms tothe crank.

In carrying out my invention where the signal is to form .a partthereof, a portion of the automobile bod y forms the wall having twosignal openings 4 and 5 therein which are arranged ina horizontal lineand spaced apart a short distance.

To the front wall 3 of-the housing are pivoted the semaphores or signalarms 6 and 7 in such position that they will move across the signalopenings 4 and 5. The construction of these arms will be hereinaftermore fully described.

Each signal arm or semaphore is connected by alink 8 with a crank 9, theshank of which passes through the back plate 10, said back plate actingas the bearing for said crank. To the and o "the crank, pro

jecting outside of the back plate of the housis h r m bOdIGd 2represents an automobile, and

outer or front wall 3 of the housing, said ing is connected one end of aflexible shaft 11, which runs under or through the automobile to someconvenient po nt adjacent the operators seat, and the opposite end isconnected to a crank handle 12, the latter being journaled in a suitabledial or disk 13 having designation marks 14 thereon, said designationmarks representing the different positions of the sema' hores or signalarms. I have here shown t e dial as bei attached to the steering wheel15, but it wi 1 be readily understood that this ma be fas- .tened to theside of the vehicle ha y to the steering wheel post, or other suitablepart of the vehicle,'.where the operator may readily reach the same. I vv In Figs. 4 to 8 inclusive, I have shown the signal constructed so thatit may be readlly applied to any vehicle and arranged 1n any suitableposition, and in th s form of the "device 3 represents the front plate;or wall provided with rearwardly pro ecting side flanges 16 and havingsignal openings 4 and I 5 produced therein, spaced apart in a horizontalline and situated adjacent the lowerv edge of the front plate. To theinside of the front plate, between the signal openings are pivoted apair of semaphores or signal arms-6 and 7, as at 17 and at the outer orfree ends of said signal arms is a gulde flange 18 bentfrom the bodiesand lying at a right angles thereto. These guide flanges are adapted toapproximately fill the space 19 within the housing between the frontplate 3 and the back plate 10, so as to pre vent undue backward andforward movement or rattling of the semaphores or signal arms. I I

The back plate 10-is referably provided with a flange 20 entire y aroundthe same, so as to inclose the signal arms, and this ,back plate issecured to the front plate in any suitable manner as by fastenin means21, such as screws and nuts. To sac of the signal arms or 'semalphores 6and 7 adjacent their inner upper e ges is pivoted one end of a link 8 asat 22, the opposite ends of both of these links being pivoted as at 23,

v to the arm-24 of the crank 9, the shank 25 of said crank passingthrough the back plate 10and using the same as a bearing. This crank isconnected with the operating means in the same manner as shown in Fig.2,the signal being situated in any suitable position on the outside of thevehicle, and said signal may be attached to the vehicle in anysuitableand well known manner as by T turn the crank 9 to its lowermost positionbrackets or screws threaded directly into the vehicle.

The operation lows When the operator intends to stop the vehicle,the'crank handle 12 is turned until it alines with the properdesignation mark, such as the letter S, which movement will of thesignal is as folas shown in Fig. 4, through the medium of the flexibleshaft, and this will move both (time to prevent an accident, therebyprei Venting a possible loss of life and property.

Should the operator intend to turn to-the right, either for reaching thecurb along the. street on which he is traveling, or for proceeding toanother street at an angle to the one on which he is traveling, thecrank handle12 is turned to another designation mark such as the letterR, which will move the arm 24 of the crank 9 to the right hand ositionas shown by the dot and dash line in Fig.4, which movement will causethe signal arm 7 to remain across the signal opening 5, and raise thesignal arm 6 to the position shown by the dot and dash line in Fig. 4 ifthe signal arms were originally in a stop position as shown in Fig. 4,but if the signal arms had been in a raised or proceed position as shownin Fig. 5, then the movement of the crank 9 would have caused the signalarm 7 to be moved downward across the signal opening 5 and hold theother signal arm 6 in its raised position; then again had the signal armbeen down or disposed across the signal. opening 5 and the signal arm 7raised, the latter would have been lowered and the former raised throughone of the intervening positions, in which either both are raised orboth lowered. In the same manner the signal arm 6 may be disposed acrossits signal openin 4, and the sig --nal arm 7 raised, so as not to evisible, and

when in this position the signal given implies that the operator intendsto turn the vehicle to the left. To produce this signal, the crankhandle 12 is turned to one of the other designation marks as the letterL, when the operator of the vehicle is about to start, and whileproceeding in a generally straight course, the crank handle 12 is turnedto the other designation mark such as the letter G, and this movement ofthe crank handle from any position in which it may be, will turn thecrank 9 to its uppermost position, thus raising both the semaphores orsignal arms .as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5.

In actual practice it is desirable to have the outer surface of thefront plate and the inner surface of the back plate in the region of thesignal openings 4 and 5, of one and the same color, while the signalarms or semaphores are of a different color, as for instance, the frontand back plates should have a white or light finish, while the signalarms or semaphores should have a black or dark finish or vice versa.

If found desirable a lamp 26 may be arranged adjacent the signal forthrowing a light thereon, whereby the signal arms will be visible in thedark,and lamp maybe arranged in thespace between the signal openings asshown in Figs. 4' and.5,jand

- where the signal is'oflsuflicient size it "may bolts 27 adapted toregister with suitable;

also'carry'ythe State license tag, the front 1 or outer plate orwallofthe'signa'lcarrying holes in the license tag, said. license tag be-..-

fling held in place by nuts QB-threaded onthe suitable lamps or lights29 are-arranged within the signal housing, or to. the rear of the.signal openings, so that'when the. signal arms are raised, the lightswill be plainly visible through said openings, which *if 3 founddesirable may be covered with apiece of glass 30, which should'be plainorjwhite; The signal arms are each provided with an opening 31 acrosswhich is disposed a piece .of glass 32 of some color or dark shade, suchas red, so that when the signalarms or semaphores are" moved across thesignal openings, the raysiof' light from the lamps will pass through.the colored glass and designate to the following traffic the intentions.of the operator of the vehicle. The signal arms or semaphores areoperated in'the same manner as described for my} invention. i t is to benoted that the crank 9 maybe turned from one position to'a'notherposition in either'direction, that is to the right or left, for movingthe signal arms into or out of any signal position, thus making itunnecessary for the operator to stop' and;

the other forms of consider whichway the crank handle 12,

- given.

must beturned, or that it must be turned to someneutral position beforea signal can be Of course, I do not wish to be limited to the exactdetails of construction as herein shown,as these may be varied withinthe limits of the appended claims Without departin from the spirit of myinvention.

Having thus fully described my invention,

.1. A signal comprising a housing having signal openings therein,pivoted signal arms adapted to move across said openings, and

means common to both arms for moving eitheror both of them into or outof signal position. Q

2. A signal comprisinga'hous ng having signal openings therein, pivotedsignal arms adapted to move across said openings, a

- crank, and means connected with said crank and both of the armswhereby either or both of said semaphores may be moved 1nto or out ofsignal position.

3. A signalcomprising a housing having, signal openings therein, pivotedsignal arms adapted to 'move across said openings, a crank, and links,one end of each of which is connected with the signal arms, the o positeends of each being connected with t e crank, whereby the signal arms maybe moved. into or out of signal; position.

4. An automobilesignalncomprising a housmg-having a,pair of signalopenings spaced apart on- -a horizontal line, a signal nal opening withmthe space between said openings, acrank, a bearing for said crank, and alink pivoted to each of said signal [armor semaphore pivoted adjacenteachsigarms and to the-arm of the crank, whereby either or both of saidsignal arms may be moved into or out of signal position. 5. Anautomobile signal comprising an outer or front plate having-signalopenings therein spaced aparton a horizontal line, an inneror back platesecured to the front plate and spaced therefrom throughout its ma orportion, a signal'arm or semaphore pivoted 'tothe inside of the outer orfront plate in the regionof the signal openings, a crank journaled intheback plate, and means for connecting the signal arms with the crank,Wher'eby'either of said signal arms may be moved into or out of signalposition.

6.'An automobile signal comprising an outer or front'plate-having signalopenings therein spaced apart on a horizontal line, an inner or backplate secured to the front plate and spaced therefrom throughout itsmajor portion, signal arms or semaphores pivoted to the inside of theouter-or front plate in the region of the signal openings, a crankjournaled in the back plate, and a'pair of links, one end ofeach-ofwhich is pivoted to one of the semaphores with the opposite endsof both of the links pivoted to the crank, whereby the turning of saidcrank willmove eitheror both of said signal arms into or out of signalposition.

7 An automobile signal comprising a front plate provided with signalopenings and having its outer face suitably colored, a backplate carriedby 'the' front plate and having its-inner surface of the same color asthe outersurface of the front plate, signal arms .or semaphores pivotedto the front plain glass disposed across'said openings,-

semaphores having openings therein pivoted within. the housing so as tomove across the signal openings, colored glass disposed across theopenin and to the crank whereby the movements of in the semaphores,acrank, and links pivoted-to the semaphores said crank will move eitheror both of the connected to each signal arm and.v a crank.

common to both of the signal arms'and to which both of the links areconnecte d'where by movement of the crank to one position will move oneof the signal arms across its respective signalopemng, amovement of theafiixed my signature.-

crank to a second position will move the other signal arm' across itsrespective si al opening, ,a movement of the crank to a t ird positionwill move both the si a1 arms across their res ective signal openingsand a movement of t crank to a fourth position will move both signalarms away from the "signal openings.-

- In testimony whereof have hereunto "IRA B. TURNER.

